Wiper for metal-coating machines



Dec. 17, 1929. w. APAINTER WIPER FOR METAL COATING MACHINES 5 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 31, 1927 Dec. 17, 1929.

W. A. PAINTER WIPER FOR METAL COATING MACHINES a sheds-sheet 5 Filed Jan. 51.- 1927 Cl n l v Patented 17,1929

UNITED stares P 'rEN'r. OFFICE.

mum at. rm'rna. or mrrnorr, mcmem, assmxon roalcooanmra'ron a .mre. 00., or nn'raorr, ncmem, a. comm-non or nnm I wrrna ron man-commie n Application ma January :1, 1921., Serial Io. mp8s.

' This invention relates to im rovements in wipers for metal coating mac es, such as are particularly employed for coating one or both sides of fiat sheet metal band or ribbon stock in preparing the same for the manufacture therefrom of tubes. for automobile and other radiators.

In these machines, the coating metal, which is usually a solder mixture of tin and lead, is 10 applied while hot to the ribbon stock as the latter continuously passes through the machine. The coating metal must, therefore, be maintained in a molten state, and the wipers employed must necessarily'be closely adjacent the oint of application of the hot metal to the ri bon stock in order that the wipers may act on the coating metal while it is still in molten form. Consequently, the wipers are subjected to the heat rising from the hot metal as well "as from the burners used to heat the same and also to the acid fumes rising from the flux bath through which the ribbon stock passes to be cleaned before having the hot metal applied thereto. Wood wipers have proven objectionable because they crack and char under'the heat to which they are subjected, and metal wipers have also proven objectionable because they corrode under the influence of the acid fumes rising from the flux bath.

It is the object of my invention to provide wipers which will not be corroded by the acid fumes rising from the flux bath, or be affected by the heat rising from the hot coating metal. I have found that vitreous materials serve very well for wipers in these machines because such materials will not be affected by the acid fumes or the heat about these machines, and thus maintain their hard, smooth. and polished surfaces to insure even and smooth coatings on the ribbon stock. With the wipers retaining their smooth surfaces, any coating metal or other substances which tend to accumulate on them during the operation of the machine may be readily and easily wiped off so .as to keep the wipers clean.

The invention also has reference to the manner in which'these vitreous wipers are mounted in the machine so that they can not only be removed for cleaning and repair, but

pot, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. These rolls can separated sufliciently from one another to permit threading of the ribbon stock through the machine when first placing it in operation or in coupling a new suppl of metal to the su ply already in the mac e during the pr notion of large rolls or coils.

The invention consists further'in the matters hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanyingdrawings- Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a metal coatin machine embodying wipers constructed and mounted in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front side view of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional {view through the machine on line 33 of 1g. 1; t t

Figs. 4 and 5am transverse vertical sectional views through the machine, taken on lines 4.-4 and 55, respectively, of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detailed sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken through both wipers.

The machine to whichmy invention is applied has a base with a horizontal top frame composed of connected end and side members 1. 1 and 2, 2, respectively, and depending supporting legs 3, 3 which are preferably located at the corners of the top frame. The. latter supports a metal pot 4, in which the coating metal (such as solder) is maintained molten by one or more gas burners 5, 5 extending along the under side of the pot and connected with a gas supply.

Arranged abovethe pot 4 are a pairof 85 coating applying and smoothing rolls 6, 6, which have their lower peripheral portions dipping in the bath of molten metal in the are mounted on horizontal shafts 7, 7, which extend across the machine over the top of the pot and have their ends journa led 1n supporting members 8, 8 on opposite sldes of the machine, as shown in Fig. 1. These members '8, 8 are supported above the top frame of the machine by upright standards 9, V 10, which are bolted or otherwise s'ultably secured to the side members 2, 2 of the mar chine frame. I v

The ribbon stock (brass) to be coated s indicated by 11 and, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, it is passed between the rolls 6, 6 and in contact with both of them. The ribbon 11 is first passed down into the metal bath in advance of the forward roll 6 and then under the bottom portion of said roll and then up between the rolls and over the top portion of the rear roll. In this way both sides of the ribbon 11 are coated with molten metal from the pot 4 as the ribbon is continuously fed through the machine, the rolls 6, 6 being positively rotated in directions opposite to the feed or movement of the ribbon between them. To permit this, the rolls 6. 6 are spaced apart, as shown in Fig. 3, so as not to have any gripping engagement on the ribbon as it passes between them. The rolls 6, 6 are preferably located adjacent the rear end of. the machine, that is, the end where the coated ribbon leaves the machine, and passes on to the chilling and winding mechanisms, respectively, which are not shown. At the front end of the machine there are a pair of horizontal rods 12, 13 arranged one above the other so that the ribbon is caused to pass under the lower rod before passing over the upper rod and thus straighten out the ribbon and put some tension on it as it is fed through the machine. These rods are suitably supported in upright members 14, 14 secured to the main frame or base of the machine, as shown in the drawings.

The rolls 6, 6 are positively driven through the medium of an endless chain 15, which is standards 10, 10 heretofore referred to. The

lower lead of the chain 15 passes over the upper side of a s rocket wheel 19 on the shaft 7 of the forwar roll 6, as shown in Fig. 3; while the upper lead of the chain passes over an idling sprocket wheel 20, which is suitably supported in position between the shafts 7, 7 by an upright standard 20 on one of the members 8 at the side of the machine where the sprockets and chains are located. By the construction described, the chain 15 so engages the sprockets of the rolls that the latter are turned in directions opposite to the feed of the ribbon stock between the rolls. This is done so that both rolls will have a wiping action on the ribbon and thus make smooth and even the coatings on the ribbon. Power is applied to the drive shaft 18 through the medium of a belt pulley 21 fitted to said shaft. The drive shaft 18 passes through the forward ends of the members 8, 8 and in that way these members are supported by the standards 10, 10. Fixed to the shaft 18 is cordance with my lnvention are both made i from materialwhich will not corrode 101 be affected by the heat or acid fumes about the machine. A vitreous material such as glass, accom lishes these results. The wi ers 22 23 are orizontally arranged and are isposed to extend across the ribbon stock after it leaves the upper peripher of the rearmost roll 6. Thesev wipers are, eld against rotation and bear against the upper and under sides, respectively, of the ribbon after it leaves said roll so as to wipe surplus coatin metal from both sides of the ribbonstoc while the coating metal is still hot and also aid in making smooth and even the coatings on the band. These wipers are preferabv arranged with the wiper 22 in advance of and below the level of the wiper 23 so that the foremost wiper 22 may reach the ribbon and hold it against the rearmost roll 6 and against the rear wiper 23 as the ribbon stock passes over the same. i

The glass wiper 22 is clamped against the underside of a suitable support 24, which is preferably in the form of a block of any preferred metal, such as aluminum. The under side of this block is formed to have a;

concave groove or recess 25 to receive .and conform to the upper peripheral surface of the lass tube .which constitutes. the wiper. Passing through the tube 22 is a metal rod 26, which is longerthan the tube and is disposed to have its ends extend outward from the opposite ends'of the tube, as shown in Fig. 6. Fitting about this rod is a packing of asbestos 27, which has a length approximating that of the glass tubeso as to form a heat insulating and cushion medium between the rod and the tube. The clamps employed to hold the glass tube 22 in the groove 25 are at the opposite ends of the tube and are carried by the supporting block 24.

Each clamp, as detailed in Fig. 6, has a hook 28 to engage under the adjacent end of the rod-26and a stem 29 extending upward along the end of the block 24 through a lug 30 thereon. A coiled spring 31 rests on the lug 30 and surrounds a portion of the stem extending above the same. The upper portion of the stem is screw-threaded to receive a nut 32 which holds the spring under tension against its seat through an interposed collar 33. The springs of the two clamps force the stems 29 upward and thus clamp the glass tube 22 against the block 24 in the groove 25. Each clamp is provided at its lower end with an eye 34, by means of which thehook may be grasped and be drawn down to release the rod 26 whenever it is desired to remove the glass Wiper tube 22 for cleaning or repair. It is to be understood, of course, in this connection that both of the clamps for the tube are drawn down to release their hooks from the opposite ends of the rod 26.

The block 24 is secured to a yoke 35, the side arms of which are fixed to or provided with laterally projecting trunnions 36. 36, which are ournaled in the upper ends of upright standards 37, 37 on opposite sides of the machine and bolted at'their lower ends to the respective side members 8, 8 adjacent the standards 9, 9, heretofore described, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The trunnion 36 at the front side of the machine extends sufficiently outward from its standard 37 to permita crank handle 38 to be secured thereto, as by a set screw as shown in Fig. 5. This enables the wiper 22 to be readily swung with the yoke 35 above and out of contact with the ribbon stock passing through the machine, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6. This is done whenever it is necessary to thread a supply of ribbon stock through the machine or remove the wiper for cleaning or repair, or when the machine is used to coat only the under side ofthe ribbon stock, as shown, described, and claimed in my copending application filed' January 31, 1927, Serial No. 164,969. To hold the wiper 22 in either its lowered or raised position, I provide the handle of the crank 38 with a spring pressed plunger 39, which may engage in appropriate holes or recesses 40. 40 in a segment plate 41 with which the adjacent standard 37 is provided, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2.

The rearmost glass wiper 23 is clamped in a suitable groove or recess 42 along the upper edge of a support 43, also made of aluminum and bolted or otherwise secured to a cross-bar 44, which extends between the side members 8. 8 in line with the uprights 37, 37, as shown in Fig. 5. This cross-bar 44 is secured to the side members 8, 8 by the same studs which fasten the standards to said side members, as indicated in Fig. 5. i

The glass tube forming the rear wiper 23 is clamped to its support 44 in the same manner as the glass tube forming the front wiper 22, except that the positions of the clamps are reversed, that is, the hook 28 and the eyes 34? are atthe upper ends of the clamps instead of at the lower ends as forthe wiper 22. The support 43 also has end lugs 30 through which the stems of the clamps 29 extend downward, and these clamps have coiled springs 31 between the lugs and collars 33 which are retained on the stem by nuts and collars 32, 33, respectively, as detailed in Fig. 6. A clamp rod 26 extends through the wiper tube 23, and an asbestos packing 27 is about the rod, in the same manner as the clamp structure for the other wiper wipers 22, 23 are made long enough to bear the full number of strips as may be through the machine. In Figs. 1, 4, and 5, I have shown two strips assing through the machine side by side, so t at two supplies of ribbon stock may be coated with metal on both sides simultaneously. drive shaft 18 forms a pivotal support for the frontends of the side members 8, 8 so that they may be swung upward to carry the rolls 6, 6 out of the metal bath on releasing their rear ends from the standards 10. This may be done when it is desired to thread a supply of ribbon between rolls. The side members 8, 8 are spaced apart far enough, however, so that the ribbon may whenever desired be laced between the rolls without raising them. In mounting the wipers on the sidermembers 8, 8, the wipers will be carried therewith when raised and lowered.

\Vith the wipers 22, 23 made of a vitreous material, such as glass, the wipers will not be affected by the acid fumes rising from the flux bath at the front of the machine or by the heat rising from thehot metal bath. Consequently, the wipers will not corrode or crack in use and thus will retain their smooth, polished and continuous surfaces so as to wipe the surplus molten metal from both sides of the ribbon stock as it continuously passes uner and orer them, respectively, and thus aid in making the coatings smooth and even on both sides'of the bands.

The details of structure shown and described may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit and against passed scope of my invention.

;' I claim as my invention:

1. In a wiper assembly for metal coating machines, the combination with a block forming a support and having a longitudinal groove therein, of a glass tube forming a non- .-rotative wiper element and fitting in said groove, :1 rod extending through the glass 7 tube, an asbestos packing between the rod and the tube, and means carried by the block and engaging theopposite ends of the rod beyond the tube for removably clamping the tube in the groove.

2. In a wiper assembly for metal coating machines, the combination with a block forming a support, ofa tube of glass forming a uon-rotative wiper element, a. rod extending through. said tube, an asbestos packing between the rod and the tube, clamps carried by the block at the opposite ends of the glass tube and having hooks to engage the projecting ends of the rod for releasably holding the glass tube on the block.

In a wiper assembly for metal coating and resilient The extend out of the groove and beyond the block, and means for releasably clamping the machines, the combination with a support in the form of ablock, of an elongated wiper element I applied lengthwise against said block, said element being made of a solid nonyielding vitreous material and projecting outward beyond the block, and means for releasably clamping the wiper element against the block, said means comprising co-operating parts at the opposite ends of the block and wiper element respectively, and holdin the wiper element tightly against the bloci so that the wiper element will not turn withrespect to the block.

4. In a wiper assembly for metal coating machines, the combination with'a support in the form of a block havin a longitudinally extending groove therein, 0 a cylindric wiper element of solid non-yielding vitreous material and fitting lengthwise in said groove, said wiper element being made large enough to wiper element in said groove, said means comprising co-op'erating parts atthe opposite ends of the block and wiper element, respectively, and holding the wiper element tightly against the block so that the wiper element will not turn with respect to the block.

5. In a wiper assembly for metal coating machines, the combination with a block having a longitudinally extending groove therein, of a glass tube forming a wiper element fitted lengthwise in said groove, said tube being made large enou h to project out of the groove beyond the look, a rod extending through said tube and beyond the opposite ends of the same, and means carried by said block and engaging the opposite ends of said rod beyond the tube for releasably holding the tube against the block in said groove. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature this 24th day of January, 1927.

WILLIAM A. PAINTER. 

